DO MORE WITH SOFTWARE: movie maker

Showing posts with label movie maker. Show all posts

Monday, March 4, 2013

Do More with Video - Blog Carnival March 4, 2013

Here are this edition's entries to Do More with Video:

Jason Brubaker presents How To Avoid Filmmaking Headaches posted at Filmmaking Stuff, saying, "A filmmaker has a gazillion things to do, but it is important to make sure the legal clearance paperwork doesn't get dropped. You need to have legal clearance for everyone and everything associated with your movie."

Lance Carr presents Shooting Better Home Videos posted at The DIY Video Editor, saying, "Part one of a six part series of articles on shooting better videos."

Matthew York presents Video Is Everywhere! posted at VideoMaker, saying, "there�s some seven billion people on the planet; more than 311 million in the U.S. YouTube tells us that in 2011 it had more than one trillion views � approximately 140 views for every person on Earth."

You might also be interested in:

That concludes the first edition of Do More with Video. If you have a video story to share from home movies to video production submit your video blog posts for the next edition.

Friday, February 22, 2013

VideoPad: Video Editing Excellence

We are very proud of the fact that even though VideoPad hasn't broken into the top three on TopTenReviews' list—yet—they have awarded our video editor for excellence. With each new release we strive to add more of the advanced features professionals crave, and just as importantly stay easy to use. That user-friendly quality that allows everyone to make movies is in a large part what TopTenReviews has noticed and is recognizing:

"Using VideoPad requires little effort. Before we even looked at the manual, we were able to create a video. To add transitions, effects and more, all you have to do is drag and drop them in place ... Overall, VideoPad has some excellent features. It can import files directly from many types of devices and it has 3D and green-screen capabilities. It is easy to use and has basic editing tools."
� TopTenReviews

If you haven't tried VideoPad video editing software yet, why not download a copy today. We think you will agree that VideoPad is both an excellent and easy video editor. Those of you who are already VideoPad users remember you can always send us suggestions on how we can make VideoPad even better. With your help those other video editors better watch out, because we plan to keep moving VideoPad forward and raising the bar on video editing excellence.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Make "Picture-in-Picture" Videos with VideoPad

Create picture in picture video with videopad for pip video editing

The picture-in-picture (PIP) effect is commonly used in videos where more than one set of images is shown simultaneously in order to tell a story or convey additional information. Picture-in-picture is frequently used as part of news clips and in instructional videos.

The PIP effect can easily be achieved using VideoPad Video Editor software (version 3.0) by adding the video clip you want to overlay as your picture-in-picture onto the timeline so that it is positioned above the video you want to serve as the background in your video.

With this clip selected in the timeline, click on the "Effects" button then choose "Motion" from the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog box. Use the "Scale," "Position X" and "Position Y" controls to adjust the size and placement of your clip. You will be able to see the position and size change in the preview window on the right side of the Effects dialog box.

When everything is positioned the way you want it simply close the dialog box to apply your changes. Then, when you preview your movie, you will see your re-sized and re-positioned video clip overlaid on top of the larger clip.

Creating a picture-in-picture video in VideoPad is that easy. Use the same process to position images on the screen, making it an easy way for businesses to add their logo to videos.

Friday, January 25, 2013

New Mac VideoPad Video Editing Software

VideoPad has been praised for being an easy-to-use video editor, and is one of the most popular programs NCH Software provides, but until now it has only been available for Windows. Today however our Mac customers can rejoice that VideoPad Video Editor is now ready to start making movies on OS X too.

VideoPad joins Prism Video Converter and Debut Video Capture to make a very useful video software toolbox for Mac users. Ensuring that platform support won't get in the way of anyone's ability to record, edit, or watch videos.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Keyframing and More VideoPad 3.00 Improvements

More video tracks and new features added to VideoPad

The release of VideoPad Video Editor v3.00 has some exciting changes that long-time users should be happy to see, including additional video tracks and sequences, and keyframing, while remaining as easy as ever, keeping the learning curve to the bare minimum.

Keyframing is one of the new features we really think you will enjoy. Keyframing allows greater control over an effect�s usage in a video, including the rate at which it is applied, intensity, and even the animation of an effect or overlay on the video. From the Video Effects dialog, you can show the animation controls button by clicking the keyframes icon to the right of the Applied Effects heading. Add keyframes to the effect�s timeline and position them higher or lower to change how the effect is shown in the final video. Use the preview to make sure your effects look just the way they should.

Keyframing gives advanced users a lot more control and flexibility in their editing, and many of VideoPad�s newest additions streamline the editing workflow to help anyone new to video editing work like a pro with their first project. To help get people started we have updated the VideoPad tutorial to introduce you to the interface and the video editing basics you need to make your movies look their best.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Do More with Video - Blog Carnival January 7, 2013

Here are this edition's entries to Do More with Video:

Shamelle presents How To Use Video Scribing For Video Marketing posted at Promote Youtube Videos, saying, "Video scribing is a new method in the mix of organic message delivery. Also referred to as whiteboard animation, it lifts that drawing from its fixed place and time, and allows it to be uploaded, broadcasted and shared."

Color Correction, Brightness, Contrast, and Gamma posted at Easy Video Editing, saying, "Learn about how to manually adjustment videos to get the 'just right' look you want."

Jason Brubaker presents How To Get Into Filmmaking posted at Filmmaking Stuff, saying, Ttake stock of your resources and stop making excuses to push yourself forward into filmmaking."

Colin Mulvany presents What I learned shooting my first DSLR videos posted at Mastering Multimedia, saying, "Making the transition to DSLR video without any storytelling quality loss."

GoproView presents Gopro Hero 3 is Here posted at GoproView: How to be a Hero, saying, "The new version of the popular point of view video camera, Gopro, is now here."

Lance Carr presents DivX and H.264 Video File Formats Explained posted at The DIY Video Editor, saying, "Information about the most popular MPEG-4 based codecs for quality, speed and efficiency."

Amy Manzer and Mark Levy presents 9 Copyright Laws Every Video Producer Should Know posted at Videomaker, saying, "Technology has put the world at our fingertips. Creating and sharing videos has never been easier. If you're producing videos, it is crucial to be aware of copyright laws."

You might also be interested in:

That concludes the first edition of Do More with Video. If you have a video story to share from home movies to video production submit your video blog posts for the next edition.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Y is for YouTube

NCH Software ABCs Series

YouTube has a wealth of videos, from information to humor you can find videos about just about everything, a whole world of endless amusement is just a click away. But watching videos isn't the only side. There are millions of aspiring YouTube stars out there who would do well to note some of the useful and easy YouTube software programs below that can help you download, record, edit and upload videos directly to YouTube. Who knows, yours could be the next big viral video.

And, for video tutorials on many NCH products, stop by the NCH Software YouTube channel.

<<< Previous: X if for eXpress

Next: Z is for Zip >>>

Monday, November 12, 2012

V is for Video

NCH Software ABCs Series

Video is all around us. From the big blockbuster movies to YouTube, from video surveillance cameras in retail stores, to parents recording their kids first steps, and that is just the beginning, so it should come as no surprise we chose Video for 'V.' Plus like all of our software programs they our Video software is designed to be easy to use, so if want to record your screen or edit together a highlights reel of the tee-ball season, we have the video software you need to get the job done:

<<< Previous: U is for Utilities

Next: W is for Web Access >>>

Monday, November 5, 2012

Do More with Video - Blog Carnival November 5, 2012

To continue in the footsteps of the Do More with Audio blog carnival that we have been hosting for the last two years we have decided to add a Do More with Video blog carnival giving people the chance to share any video filming, recording, editing, production, projects, tips and more. To get things started I did some online to find some interesting posts to share in this first edition, and we hope you will submit your own video posts for the next edition.

So with our further ado here is the first edition of Do More with Video:

Teaching Video Storytelling. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what must a video be worth? Read about one professor's formula for video storytelling.

2012 CamcorderInfo Best of Year Awards. If you are looking for equipment here is what the professionals at camcorderinfo.com would recommend to family, friends and you.

Can I Edit Video from a DVD? An interesting post about the possible compression problems that can arise from extracting video from DVD and then compressing it again.

How to Create 3D Videos. A post about both converting 2D videos into 3D and filming with 3D in mind for better results.

10 Most Popular Types of Viral Videos. If you are hoping to make your own viral video it might help to know what the top are viral video categories.

Music and Video in Windows 8: a work in progress. Promising first steps, but latest offerings don't always play well with others.

What Filmmakers Need To Know About Video on Demand. Traditional theatrical and DVD film distribution models are being replaced by video on demand platforms which will forever alter the ways movies are seen and sold.

Optimizing Videos Embedded on Your Site for Search Engines. When you are putting a video online you want people to find it, and that is where SEO comes in to play to help make sure your video is found and viewed.

You might also be interested in:

That concludes the first edition of Do More with Video. If you have a video story to share from home movies to video production submit your video blog posts for the next edition.

Friday, September 14, 2012

VideoPad Introduction in Manga

Not only is it fun for us to learn about see or listen to the audio and video projects that people create with NCH Software products, we also enjoy hearing and seeing what people think about and have to say about our software. When we stumbled upon a comic in a Japanese blog introducing readers to our VideoPad video editing software we contacted the creator and asked for permission to share a translated version with our readers. So take a look at the translated VideoPad comic below.

For those of you who are curious or know Japaenese you can view the original and read more of his thoughts on VideoPad in his blog, Try! Various things! (?????!????!). While you're there scroll to the bottom of the post to watch his test video showing some of the things that VideoPad is capable of.

VideoPad is perfect for anyone not satisfied with Movie Maker

VideoPad is perfect for anyone not satisfied with Movie Maker

If you are read to give VideoPad your own test drive, visit www.nchsoftware.com/videopad to download a copy for yourself.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

VirtualDub Plugins for VideoPad

Want to do more with VideoPad? You can add VirtualDub Video Plugin Effects to VideoPad Video Editor, giving you access to additional tools and effects. Some of the most common VirtualDub plugin features you will find out there have already been added as built-in features of VideoPad, but there are certainly more out there if you take a little time to look. For example, if you want to disguise someone before you post a video on YouTube, you might want to take a look at the NVeiler Video Filter from NeuroTechnology, which can be used to detect and pixelize faces to hide a person's identity.

Find more information on adding and using plugins in VideoPad on our site, and let us know what your favorite VirtualDub plugins are for expanding your copy of VideoPad.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Stop Motion Animation with Slideshow Software

Make stop motion viedos string sequential still photos together with photostage slideshow software

I recently stumbled across another great use for PhotoStage Slideshow Software, combining sequential still photos into a stop motion video animation. That is exactly what a class of students did in the Napa Valley in a CyberMill Technology Center summer program as reported on by Howard Yune of the Napa Valley Register.

CyberMill is a Napa Valley nonprofit technology center, affiliated with the national Computers for Youth nonprofit organization. The CFY Network is committed to improving the home learning environment of low-income families by providing home computers and educational resources, helping students learn the technology skills they need to compete and thrive in the 21st Century. In this particular summer program Yune explains that

"For nearly four hours a day over five days, children at the animation camp work through all the phases of building a short video. Digital point-and-shoot cameras snap numerous photos � as many as 465 for each short � of box-size backdrops built by the children themselves, guided by scripts based on poems of their creation or choosing.

Instructors also guide students in using Photostage software to merge the stills into short movies, adding electronic titles and recording dialogue in an audio studio set inside a walk-in closet."

� Ever wanted to make a movie about a goldfish?

We were excited to learn about this project of making stop motion animated shorts with PhotoStage and applaud the programs of the CyberMill Technology Center for bringing technology to those who might not have as much exposure to this important piece of our world today, while keeping it fun at the same time.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

How to Add Subtitles to Your Videos (P.S. It's not difficult)

Adding text to a video is one of the most common reasons why people use video editors, and VideoPad video editor is an easy way to add any kind of text to your video projects. Previously, I blogged about how to use VideoPad video editor to add overlay text to your videos, which is a great primer for adding short bursts of text like captions, title screens, and credits. For more ambitious text projects, you might be better off using the subtitles feature, which allows you to either upload a subtitle file or create your own subtitles.

Import Subtitles

For movies and shows, many people like to have the words�whether they speak the same language or not�so they can easily follow the dialog. If you have a subtitle file in .ssa format, you can easily import the subtitles to attach to your movie or show.

Click the Subtitles icon in the toolbar of VideoPad.
In the upper left corner of the Subtitles dialog, click the Open folder button. Browse to your .ssa file and open it to load it into the Subtitles dialog.
Click the Play button to preview the subtitles with your movie.

Create Subtitles

If you don't have an .ssa file for your movie, or you want subtitles as back up to the audio of a tutorial or video project, you can create your own subtitles.

Click the Subtitles icon in the toolbar of VideoPad.
Use the preview window to cue the video where the first subtitle will start.
Click the green Plus button in the lower right to add a new subtitle, then type the subtitle in the input field, which is the bottom pane. The subtitle will be added to the list of subtitles.
To set the end of the subtitle, cue up where the subtitle should end and note the time from the sequence clock under the preview window on the right. Select the subtitle from the list and click within the Hide field. Enter the time the subtitle should end and click OK.

Any time you make changes to your subtitle file, be sure to save it by clicking the
Save button in the upper left corner.

Working with text is easy with VideoPad, and so is working with the rest of the program. Try VideoPad out now for free, or view our other video software. You can also view our subtitles tutorial for more help with importing and creating subtitles to your VideoPad projects.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Making A Music Video

Over on Review Explorer Chris McGivern posted a detailed interview with Singer-songwriter Andy Fosberry of Ironlight River about making a music video. Fosberry took a do-it-yourself attitude and made a great video without sacrificing his creativity or breaking the bank. And we were particularly thrilled that Fosberry turned to NCH Software using Switch Audio Converter, Prism Video Converter and VideoPad Video Editor to help him along the way.

"As a musician, I use a piece of software call Switch by NCH Software which converts audio formats. And it�s brilliant. To convert these video files I used their A/V equivalent which is called Prism. When it was downloading, I had the option on loads of other things and saw something called VideoPad, which was billed as editing software. I figured it would be like WavePad and, therefore, just for clips etc, but it�s a fully working, kind of mid-level piece of editing software ... Its just so beautifully usable. So much so that I had a working edit in about 8 hours. All the effects, are nicely editable in themselves. So you can really make significant changes to what you are working on."

� Andy Fosberry

If you're interested in making your own music video(s) we would encourage you to go over to Review Explorer and read How To Make A Music Video � For Free for more details on what Fosberry did for his video, and to see the results.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Add New Dimension to your VideoPad Projects

Stereoscopic 3D viewing from VideoPad video editor

Two dimensions got you down? Wishing you could add a little something extra to your videos to make them stand out? In addition to new chroma key options, VideoPad now lets you export your finished movie for stereoscopic 3D viewing, yet another example that big things do come in small packages. Simply select the "Stereoscopic 3D" icon at the far right of the "Save Movie" window and set your options below - it's that easy. You'll have several options for stereoscopic output depending on your preference, although the default anaglyph imagery selection is the often the most effective way to produce a stereoscopic 3D.

While you won�t need a fancy new television to view your eye-popping creations, you will need two things: one is a set of 3D glasses with red and blue lenses and the other is a suitable way to view your content. For desktop viewing, I recommend Steroscopic Player. It�s both free and is well suited to view any 3D content you export out of VideoPad.

For more information about VideoPad or any other of our acclaimed video software products, visit www.nchsoftware.com/software/video.html

Monday, December 13, 2010

Give A Gift of Memories

If you are looking for a really special gift idea, why not give new life to your home movies? Whether they are on VHS cassettes or just taking up disk space, you can easily edit them together and create a memorable home movie DVD for a truly priceless gift to give your loved ones.

First, collect together all of the home videos you want to use. If you have any old analog home movies stored on an old camcorder or VHS tapes you can use a Golden Videos VHS to DVD Converter with a video capture device to connect your camcorder or VCR to your computer and digitize your home movies in no time.

When you have all your video clips collected you are ready to start editing with a quick and easy video editing program like VideoPad. Trim down clips, arrange on the timeline and select transitions. Add a soundtrack or record your own narration to share your memories about the recorded events. VideoPad also has a video stabilization feature to help clean up shaky video if your hand wasn't very steady when you were recording. And for a little extra emphasis you can even adjust the speed of video clips to add in an instant replay of that first home run or other momentous event. VideoPad is very user friendly so editing your home movies really only takes a little time and a little creativity.

Once your editing is complete you are ready to package everything together. Give your video the finishing touch by burning to DVD and adding a custom DVD label for a polished and professional looking final product.

See our software gift ideas page for more ideas on software programs to give, or other ways to add a little personal flare to your gifts.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Raking in Awards for NCH Software Applications

The good folks over at TopTen Reviews have been busy and have recently added a few new reviews of some NCH Software favorites to their site. Most notably, they have added VideoPad video editor to their video editing line up, highlighting the extreme ease of use of this small but powerful movie making program.

"Learning to use VideoPad requires very little effort. Indeed, it�s intuitive enough that we were performing some basic functions before even taking a look at the user manual. Drag and drop technology is at the heart of the simplicity. All of the most fundamental processes, including moving clips from the media list to the video and audio tracks or rearranging split clips, can be accomplished in this manner. Other processes are simple too, generally requiring nothing more than clicking a button or selecting an option from a menu. Even adding transitions and effects is just a mouse click away."

� TopTenReviews video editing software review

Test drive our easy video editing software for yourself. We think you will agree with TopTenReviews and be amazed at how easy it is to make your own movies with VideoPad. To help get you started you can also check out our VideoPad video tutorial for a quick tour of the program and some of the features you can use when you are editing your first masterpiece.

VideoPad wasn't the only product to get recognized. Express Burn is polishing a new bronze for cd burning which is only one of the many features of the powerful disc burning software. And WavePad can now boast at having a gold, two silvers and a bronze award from TopTenReviews in different categories, with a new silver in mp3 editing and a bronze for voice recording.

WavePad Silver mp3 audio editing software award

"NCH Software is well-known for its broad range of super multimedia software. WavePad, their entry into the MP3 editing software category, has all the same looks of a quality NCH program. With WavePad, you can do everything you would possibly want to do with an audio file with their assortment of editing tools and effects."

� TopTenReviews MP3 editing software review

We design all of our software with the user in mind, and winning awards is just an added perk, but it is nice to be recognized for some of the things we strive for like ease of use. We hope you will agree with the reviewers at TopTenReviews and fall for our simple and award-winning software solutions.

Friday, October 22, 2010

User Spotlight: First Time Success Making A Music Video

Bart Bryars recently purchased PhotoStage Slideshow Software and put together his first video. The opening number for their musical, Joey, is a take on everything New York City.

"It turned out so good and has had such a positive response, I thought I'd send it to you so you could see what's possible for a first time novice like me, who has no training whatsoever in video arts or production. We don't even have a camcorder. The action parts were shot on a regular Sony digital camera that happens to have a basic recording feature.

Thank you so much for your product. Very simple and easy to use."

� Bart Bryars

As we've mentioned in the past we strive to make all of our software easy to use. So it is great to not only hear that we are doing a good job, but to see the results as well. We really enjoyed watching the musical number they put together with the help of PhotoStage Slideshow Creator and wanted to share it with all of you fine readers:

We hope you enjoy their video too. Maybe it will inspire you to put together your own musical video montage after seeing what couple of beginners were able to do.